The Official 2023-2024 Utah Jazz Season Discussion Thread

Crunch 99 · Post #121 » by **Crunch 99** » Mon Oct 2, 2023 1:00 pm

Flexibility is Jazz’s No. 1 priority as they gear up for a ‘vicious’ training camp
https://www.deseret.com/2023/9/29/23892829/flexibility-is-utah-jazz-no-1-priority-as-they-gear-up-for-a-vicious-training-camp-in-hawaii-nba

Snip: “Nothing is set in stone,” Hardy said. “We could be the team that changes the starting lineup once every 10 days just based on a matchup.”

Post #122 » by **Inigo Montoya** » Mon Oct 2, 2023 4:03 pm

Crunch 99 wrote:Flexibility is Jazz’s No. 1 priority as they gear up for a ‘vicious’ training camp
https://www.deseret.com/2023/9/29/23892829/flexibility-is-utah-jazz-no-1-priority-as-they-gear-up-for-a-vicious-training-camp-in-hawaii-nba

Snip: “Nothing is set in stone,” Hardy said. “We could be the team that changes the starting lineup once every 10 days just based on a matchup.”

In close second: continuity and cash considerations.

vryadli · Post #123 » by **vryadli** » Mon Oct 2, 2023 4:31 pm

Inigo Montoya wrote:
Crunch 99 wrote:Flexibility is Jazz’s No. 1 priority as they gear up for a ‘vicious’ training camp
https://www.deseret.com/2023/9/29/23892829/flexibility-is-utah-jazz-no-1-priority-as-they-gear-up-for-a-vicious-training-camp-in-hawaii-nba

Snip: “Nothing is set in stone,” Hardy said. “We could be the team that changes the starting lineup once every 10 days just based on a matchup.”

In close second: continuity and cash considerations.

So you think he is cheating when speaks about team work?

Crunch 99 · Post #124 » by **Crunch 99** » Tue Oct 3, 2023 12:24 pm

Will Hardy, the Utah Jazz’s head coach, knows Kelly Olynyk is important to the team.
https://thejnotes.com/2023/10/02/it-sounds-like-will-hardy-knows-the-utah-jazz-will-lose-something-with-kelly-olynyk-on-the-bench/

Snip: It seems as though Olynyk is quite the popular person among the coaching staff, with Hardy going on to talk about what Olynyk brings to the team beyond his passing. As the Salt Lake Tribune reports, Hardy sees Olynyk as the most unselfish player on the team, describing him as being the team’s Katniss Everdeen, of Hunger Games fame.

Post #125 » by **Jamaaliver** » Tue Oct 3, 2023 12:33 pm

Congrats on adding this guy for essentially nothing this season. He's been my favorite Hawk for years now.

I wish him (and your team) the best...except when they come to Atlanta.

Read on Twitter

TNJazz · Post #126 » by **TNJazz** » Tue Oct 3, 2023 1:50 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:Congrats on adding this guy for essentially nothing this season. He's been my favorite Hawk for years now.

I wish him (and your team) the best...except when they come to Atlanta.

Read on Twitter

I am excited to see him in a Jazz Uni! Hoping he has a resurgence year similar to LM. He might have more tools already in his belt from which to improve. Impressive that he was here for Summer League getting to know his young team mates and being a mentor before he was even officially a Jazz man. Like you, I wish him and the team the best, but unlike you, I even wish that when they are in Atlanta! :lol:

Post #127 » by **Jamaaliver** » Tue Oct 3, 2023 2:00 pm

TNJazz wrote:I am excited to see him in a Jazz Uni! Hoping he has a resurgence year similar to LM. He might have more tools already in his belt from which to improve. Impressive that he was here for Summer League getting to know his young team mates and being a mentor before he was even officially a Jazz man. Like you, I wish him and the team the best, but unlike you, I even wish that when they are in Atlanta!

He's such a good dude. I've watched him grow the past 6 years and I've been thoroughly impressed at how he's grown on and off the court.

I do wonder how he'll fit next to Kessler and Lauri. But your coach and GM seem more competent than the guys Collins played under in Atlanta. (Not a knock on Quin.) It'll be interesting to see how he's utilized with the Jazz.

Unrelated Note: Keyonte George looked incredible at Summer League.

Read on Twitter

Post #128 » by **Jamaaliver** » Tue Oct 3, 2023 2:03 pm

Read on Twitter

Post #129 » by **Inigo Montoya** » Tue Oct 3, 2023 2:50 pm

Kessler is hilarious: "I'm getting old, man. The grand-kids are treating me rough."

https://youtube.com/shorts/T4dHut0y0qE?si=RCadQnpiBXkqjPb1

vryadli · Post #130 » by **vryadli** » Tue Oct 3, 2023 10:32 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:Congrats on adding this guy for essentially nothing this season. He's been my favorite Hawk for years now.

I wish him (and your team) the best...except when they come to Atlanta.

Read on Twitter

Thanks for great input. I'm starting to like Collins more and more.

SoCalJazzFan · Post #131 » by **SoCalJazzFan** » Thu Oct 5, 2023 12:23 am

Will Hardy has said that the guard lineups will depend on how combination of players work out. So, I decided to take a look at how the various combos of Sexton, Dunn, THT, JC and OA performed last year.

All Season
Player Combo Games MPG +/-
THT and JC, 37 g, 10.7 mpg= +2.5
Dunn and OA, 22g, 11.9 mpg= +1.8
Dunn and JC, 3g, 12.9mpg= +0.7
Sexton and JC, 45g, 14.3mpg= +0.1
Dunn and Sexton, 1g, 15.7min= 0.0
JC and OA, 26g, 11.2mpg= -0.3
THT and OA, 45g, 13.5mpg= -0.8
Sexton and OA, 20g, 7.8mpg= -1.1
Sexton and THT, 26g, 7.3mpg= -1.9
Dunn and THT, 14g, 7.1mpg= -2.6

I thought I would also look at after the All Star Break (trade deadline):

Dunn and OA, 22g, 11.9mpg= +1.8
Dunn and JC, 3g, 12.9mpg= +0.7
THT and JC, 3g, 20.7mpg= +0.3
Dunn and Sexton, 1g, 15.7mins= 0.0
THT and OA, 19g, 20.6mpg= -2.0
JC and OA, 3g, 21.1mpg= -2.3

Lastly, I then looked at how the combos played with Markkanen, as the starting guard combo will certainly play big minutes with him this season.

THT and JC, 28g, 6.2mpg= +2.6
THT and OA, 25g, 10.8mpg= +2.5
JC and OA, 17g, 5.9mpg= +2.4
Sexton and JC, 40, 11.0mpg= +1.3
Dunn and THT 6g, 7.9mpg= 0.0
Sexton and OA, 15g, 5.9mpg= -0.1
Dunn and JC, 1, 4.4 mins=-1.0
Dunn and OA, 10g, 5.0mpg= -1.1
Sexton and THT 17g, 3.9mpg= -2.3

I looked for combos with Markkanen and Kessler, a likley starting frontcourt pair, but there was only Dunn and JC that played 1.2 mins of a single game.

What stood out to me is that Sexton is rarely positive. Also, how suprisingly well THT does well with a shooting partner (e.g. JC or OA). Dunn and THT are a horrible combo, and instead one of them should play with either JC or OA.

Crunch 99 · Post #132 » by **Crunch 99** » Thu Oct 5, 2023 2:54 pm

THT is still just 22 years old. With good development coaching, he is another young Jazz player that may be able to significantly raise his game in coming seasons.

At the media day interview, he said he arrived to camp in great shape, but he also said he weighs 240 lbs. That weight sounds great for bullying guards and small forwards on offense, but it probably isn't the ideal weight for trying to stay in front of quick, opposing point guards on defense.

Post #133 » by **Inigo Montoya** » Thu Oct 5, 2023 3:19 pm

I just want THT to improve his long-range shooting. That's the main thing that is holding him back. If he could make 3s at a decent percentage it will unlock his game and he'll be a very valuable piece.

Crunch 99 · Post #134 » by **Crunch 99** » Thu Oct 5, 2023 3:25 pm

Inigo Montoya wrote:I just want THT to improve his long-range shooting. That's the main thing that is holding him back. If he could make 3s at a decent percentage it will unlock his game and he'll be a very valuable piece.

THT actually had a slightly better TS% and 3p% last season than Marcus Smart did at age 22. Smart went on to raise his 3P% from .283 to his current, more respectable .336, so there is always hope!

SoCalJazzFan · Post #135 » by **SoCalJazzFan** » Thu Oct 5, 2023 6:18 pm

Speaking of combinations, the apparent concern with trading for Collins in the past was often that Markkanen is, or should be, a PF, as Collins is clearly a PF. However, I think that Markk, who can play either F and might be a better SF, and Collins can co-exist. The question, in my mind, is whether Collins and Kessler can play effectively at the same time. Collins is a PnR beast, but you can't really do that with a true center tied to the paint. Can Collins shoot well enough from 3 to make it work? Can Kessler become an outside threat?

On the other hand, a combo of Hendricks (or Markk), Collins and Olynyk could be really good as you have a strong combination of outside shooting, rim rolling, playmaking and rim defense. Match that group with a sg sniper and a pg who can run pnr and also distribute, and they could be very effective.

D Rog · Post #136 » by **D Rog** » Thu Oct 5, 2023 10:45 pm

Is anybody aware of any reporters covering the Jazz fall camp in Hawaii? I normally rely on Tony Jones, but he is covering the Nuggets fall camp.

vryadli · Post #137 » by **vryadli** » Fri Oct 6, 2023 1:26 am

I hope Jazz will not bring Herro in. Selfish non-defending stat-oriented halfstar on fullstar contract - that can be a pretty heavy monkey wrench in team mechanics.

May be not Carmelo-heavy wrench, but something like "very poor people" Hurden-type player.

Post #138 » by **Inigo Montoya** » Fri Oct 6, 2023 10:56 am

D Rog wrote:Is anybody aware of any reporters covering the Jazz fall camp in Hawaii? I normally rely on Tony Jones, but he is covering the Nuggets fall camp.

I think Locke covered it a bit, and there is also this guy:

Read on Twitter

Crunch 99 · Post #139 » by **Crunch 99** » Fri Oct 6, 2023 1:18 pm

Jazz open up practice scrimmages to fans in Hawaii to get a sneak peek at the 2023-24 team
https://www.deseret.com/2023/10/5/23904463/utah-jazz-open-practice-what-we-learned

Catchall · Post #140 » by **Catchall** » Thu Oct 12, 2023 8:22 pm

The Jazz don't really have a guy they can run their offense through. It's pretty glaring. Their best floor general right now is Kris Dunn. THT is still fairly erratic, and other teams guard him like he's Russell Westbrook. Colin Sexton's game is basically driving the ball at the rim. Keyonte is just starting to learn the ropes. Clarkson is a better player when he's score-first. Olynyk can playmake if you're willing to hang around and wait for him to process plays.